S.C. restaurant manager accused of enslaving black cook pleads guilty to forced labor
The manager of a South Carolina restaurant has pleaded guilty to forcing a mentally disabled black buffet cook to work unpaid for more than 100 hours a week, according to federal officials.
Bobby Paul Edwards, a 53-year-old white male, admitted he used violence, threats and intimidation tactics to force John Christopher Smith, who is black, to work more than 100 hours a week without pay at Edwards’ Myrtle Beach buffet restaurant J&J Cafeteria.